This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a device for handling currency notes having an input and output unit to deposit and withdraw currency notes, a sensor unit for detecting the denomination of currency notes inserted and a transport unit for transporting currency notes. The device has in addition a collective bin to accept currency notes wherein this collective bin is configured in such a manner that currency notes of a predetermined currency set can be received and that with the aid of the transport unit currency can only be brought to said bin but cannot be removed again. In addition, a first and at least one second recycling receiving bin are provided to which currency notes can be brought with the aid of the transport unit and from which currency notes received can be removed again and taken to the input and output unit.
2. Discussion
The device is specifically an automated teller machine, an automated cash register system or an automated safe. In the case of automated cash register systems, particularly automated cash register systems in the low-price segment, fewer recycling receiving bins are frequently provided than there are different denominations in the currency set to be handled. In the Euro zone in particular it is not the seven recycling bins required that are provided, but only three recycling bins. Thus, it is not possible to provide unmixed storage for all the denominations. Unmixed storage is understood to mean that only currency notes of precisely one denomination are accepted in a recycling receiving bin.
One possibility is to store one denomination in each of the three recycling bins and to keep all the remaining denominations of currency notes in the collective bin. Specifically, the three smallest denominations, for example 5 euros, 10 euros and 20 euros, are stored in the recycling receiving bins. The problem here is that a large number of currency notes of small denominations have to be paid out when large sums of money are withdrawn because the currency notes with the large denominations are kept in the collective receiving bin and thus cannot be paid out again. The result can be that the device has to be stocked frequently with new currency notes in order to retain its functionality. Paying out a large number of currency notes can lead to customer dissatisfaction.
Another possibility is to accept currency notes of two different denominations in one of the recycling receiving bins, wherein all the currency notes of these two denominations deposited are always taken to this recycling receiving bin, i.e. there is fixed distribution of the currency notes to the recycling bins following a predetermined rule of distribution. The problem here is that if no interim storage is provided, not just any arbitrary denomination can be paid out at any one time although the denominations have been received in the recycling receiving bin because the recycling receiving bins, particularly the drum modules in use, have a fixed sequence of issuance following the “first-in-last out” principle. Where interim storage is provided, it is certainly possible to transport a certain number of currency notes temporarily from one of the recycling receiving bins to this interim storage so that currency notes coming later in the issuing sequence can be paid out. However, the rigid distribution of the currency notes among the recycling receiving bins can result under certain circumstances in a large number of transport movements being necessary so that a long period is required to issue the desired sum of money.